THE ANTERIOR FEMORAL REGION. 421 



Relations. By its superficial surface, with the fascia lata and the integument ; 

 by its deep surface, with the Gluteus medius, Rectus femoris, Vastus externus, 

 and the ascending branches of the external circumflex artery; by its anterior 

 border, with the Sartorius, from which it is separated below by a triangular space, 

 in which is seen the Rectus femoris ; by its posterior border, with the Gluteus 

 medius. 



The Sartorius, the longest muscle in the body, is flat, narrow, and ribbon-like ; 

 it arises by tendinous fibres from the anterior superior spinous process of the 

 ilium and the upper half of the notch below it, passes obliquely across the upper 

 and anterior part of the thigh, from the outer to the inner side of the limb, then 

 descends vertically, as far as the inner side of the knee, passing behind the inner 

 condyle of the femur, and terminates in a tendon which, curving obliquely 

 forward, expands into a broad aponeurosis, inserted, in front of the Gracilis and 

 Semitendinosus, into the upper part of the inner surface of the shaft of the tibia, 

 nearly as far forward as the crest. The upper part of the tendon is curved back- 

 ward over the upper edge of the tendon of the Gracilis so as to be inserted behind 

 it. An offset is derived from the upper margin of this aponeurosis, which blends 

 with the fibrous capsule of the knee-joint, and another, given off" from its lower 

 border, blends with the fascia on the inner side of the leg. 



The relations of this muscle to the femoral artery should be carefully examined, 

 as it constitutes the chief guide in tying the vessel. In the upper third of the 

 thigh it forms the outer side of a triangular space, Scarpa's triangle, the inner 

 side of which is formed by the inner border of the Adductor longus, and the base, 

 turned upward, by Poupart's ligament ; the femoral artery passes perpendicularly 

 through the middle of this space from its base to its apex. In the middle third of 

 the thigh the femoral artery lies first along the inner border, and then behind the 

 Sartorius. 



Relations. By its superficial surface, with the fascia lata and integument ; 

 by its deep surface, with the Rectus, Iliacus, Vastus internus, anterior crural 

 nerve, sheath of the femoral vessels, Adductor longus, Adductor magnus, Gracilis, 

 Semitendinosus, long saphenous nerve, and internal lateral ligament of the knee- 

 joint. 



The Quadriceps extensor includes the four remaining muscles on the front of 

 the thigh. It is the great Extensor muscle of the leg, forming a large fleshy 

 mass which covers the front and sides of the femur, being united below into a 

 single tendon, attached to the patella, and above subdivided into separate por- 

 tions, which have received distinct names. Of these, one occupying the middle 

 of the thigh, connected above with the ilium, is called the Rectus femoris, from its 

 straight course. The other divisions lie in immediate connection with the shaft 

 of the femur, which they cover from the trochanters to the condyles. The portion 

 on the outer side of the femur is termed the Vastus externus ; that covering the 

 inner side, the Vastus internus ; and that covering the front of the femur, the 

 (Jrureus. 



The Rectus femoris is situated in the middle of the anterior region of the 

 thigh ; it is fusiform in shape, and its superficial fibres are arranged in a bipenni- 

 fonu manner, the deep fibres running straight down to the deep aponeurosis. It 

 arises by two tendons : one, the anterior or straight, from the anterior inferior 

 spinous process of the ilium ; the other, the posterior or reflected tendon, from a 

 groove above the brim of the acetabulum ; the two unite at an acute angle and 

 spread into an aponeurosis, which is prolonged downward on the anterior surface 

 of the muscle and from which the muscular fibres arise. 1 The muscle terminates 

 in a broad and thick aponeurosis, which occupies the lower two-thirds of its pos- 



1 Mr. W. R Williams, in an interesting paper in the Journ. of Anat. and Phys., vol. xiii. p. 204, 

 points out that the reflected tendon is the real origin of the muscle, and is alone present 

 in early foetal life. The direct tendon is merely an accessory band of condensed fascia. The 

 paper will well repay perusal, though in some particulars I think the description in the text 

 more generally accurate. ED. 



